November 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton (left) shakes hands with Los Angeles Lakers forward
(37, right) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 111-77. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
5. Family Ties
Though this might be overvalued in certain situations, having ties to the Lakers organization is something that matters to the front office in Los Angeles. You could argue that it’s one of the reasons why Byron Scott has been kept around for as long as he has been and why he was ever hired in the first place. While that hasn’t worked out for the franchise obviously, Walton is a coach who can offer the same kinds of ties to the organization.
Walton was an early second-round pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent 8.5 seasons with the Lakers over the course of his career. Though things have certainly changed regarding the purple and gold since he was around as a player for this franchise, he knows how the organization is meant to be run and what it looks like when it’s being run successfully. While he wouldn’t have full control of that, his experience in that regard would be important in terms of helping the team rebuild.
Moreover, his experience with the Lakers would be valuable in terms of giving advice to the players like Russell and Randle on realizing the importance and the prominence that comes along with being a member of this team. The Lakers have a higher profile than most any team in the league and, even if Walton was never a star as a player in Los Angeles, his experience in how to deal with that as a player could lead to valuable advice for his young players if he were to be coaching them.
Next: No. 4 Modernization